Charlie’s TIPS

Crime is a feature of any society. With the recession and the state of the world economy some individuals use this as an opportunity to prey upon innocent persons through fraud, corruption, theft and violent crime. It is especially important at this time to close any gaps in your private lives that may enable potential criminals the opportunity to penetrate.

Charlie has some advice to share:

Spend a little extra money on home security.

Some areas are more prone to crime than others and therefore this needs to be placed into perspective. Endeavour to maintain minimum security requirements – sturdy locks, sensible windows/doors, low vegetation etc. to avoid becoming a victim of burglary.

Take advantage of Neighbourhood Watch.

Thieves can be discouraged from entering neighbourhoods that have an active Neighbourhood Watch programme as this can be an inconvenience. Join the one in your community or get a group of other neighbours to help you start one and be each other’s keeper!

Break routine as much as possible.

Suspecting criminals watch for routine in a potential victim’s lifestyle. The more information they have about the victim, the better. Keep life in perspective.

Conduct a priority check on a regular basis to ensure you have life in perspective and that nothing that you value has become out of sync in relation to the rest of life. This could place you at a risk of becoming a victim of crime. Potential criminals often study their victims and view areas where the victim is highly emotionally invested as a possible weak link for penetration.

Follow Charlie’s advice but try not to be fearful or paranoid. Paranoia and obsessiveness about being a victim of crime can be paralysing, especially if you have previously been a victim of crime. If you have been a victim of crime, ensure you access counselling to effectively move on from the mental and emotional damage caused to you by the incident.

JANUARY - MARCH 2014 | QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

NEWSLETTER OF THENATIONAL TASK FORCE ON CRIME PREVENTIONOffice of the Attorney General#5 Alphonzo House, 1st Avenue, BellevilleSt. Michael, BarbadosT: (246) 436-4742/46F: (246) 426-6258

Crime AwarenessAlthough the activities for Crime Awareness Month 2013 were

scaled down, the NTFCP still was able to make a valuable impact in keeping citizens informed and offering crime prevention advice. The month which was celebrated in October carried the theme, ‘Creating Awareness: Protecting Our Property Against Crime’. Activities for the Month targeted stakeholders, primary and secondary school students and the general public.

Primary school students welcomed Charlie the Crime Stopper with great excitement! The mascot, dressed in his customary national colours, targeted almost 500 young children during the Month. Charlie in his usual dynamic manner offered advice about crime in general, delinquent offending and then gave tips for them to suggest to their parents to minimize the likelihood of becoming victims of property crime, and also some they could help to execute.

Senior students from various secondary schools were visited by Consultant with the NTFCP, Modupe Sodeyi as well as Sgt. Carl Williams of the Royal Barbados Police Force who held interactive sessions regarding property crime. Students are known to engage in property crimes such as theft, vandalism and criminal damage. Ms. Sodeyi familiarized students with concepts of crime and the criminal justice system and lead the way for Sgt. Williams to focus on the property crimes police officers encounter when called into schools and the consequences of being involved with these actions.

On October 22nd, a Breakfast Meeting was held at the Courtyard by Marriott to share the findings of the recently concluded study on residential burglaries in Barbados prepared by Mr. Vincent Alleyne of the NTFCP. Invited guests spanned personnel from governmental departments, insurance and security companies, NGOs and other private entities. The study explored the almost 8000 burglaries that were reported to the authorities in the period 2006-2011. The presentation, which was delivered by Senior Research Officer of the NTFCP, Ms. Kim Ramsay, noted that burglaries were an everyday occurrence in Barbados and urged citizens to be on their guard. She called for Barbadians to secure their property and to insure not only their homes but also the property within. Crime Prevention Officer, Stn. Sgt. Stephen Griffith delivered an interesting presentation that looked at practical ways homeowners could play a part in protecting themselves from burglary. He advised that ‘everything and everyone [should be] a security guard without paying exorbitant prices.’ This could be achieved through cost effective environmental

2013MONTH

Charlie the Crime Stopper with students

Sgt. Carl Williams with Springer Memorial School students

Station Sargeant Stephen Griffith, Crime Prevention

Officer at Breakfast Meeting

Senior Research OfficerKim Ramsay at

Breakfast Meeting

In this Issue:

p1 Crime Awareness Month 2013

p2 Keeping Cyber Secure

p2 The Barbados National Crime Observatory

p3 Summer Student Work Attachment

p4 Charlie’s Crime Tips

design which would correct problems like fencing, landscaping and lighting while maintaining aesthetics.

The crime prevention message was transmitted to the public via the Action Network newsletter, television appearances along with GIS radio and television announcements which received positive feedback.

The Caribbean Cyber Security Center (CCSC) is a subsidiary of Enterprise

Solution which has been in business for over (10) years providing a wide range of leading edge ICT support services across the Caribbean region. CCSC was founded as a call to action to assist Caribbean organizations and businesses to proactively respond to a significant rise in cyber-attacks and network breaches currently facing the Caribbean like never before. Our ability as a region to ensure the Confidentiality, Availability and Integrity (CIA) of critical information infrastructures has significant economic and security implications for both our public and private sectors.

The cyber security and information security expertise and experience of the CCSC security assessment team allows us to pass on to clients a wide range of benefits and efficiencies, who need to rapidly improve their security posture in a cost effective and timely manner. The 360 degree view of cyber and information security in the areas

of security management, operations, technology and processes form the basis of services.

CCSC also believes that the security and protection of Caribbean Public and Private Information and Communication Infrastructures is one of the most serious economic and security challenges facing our region. To address this challenge head-on we have pulled together a team of culturally sensitive cyber security and information security consultants who have supported many international and regional organizations in making significant improvements to their overall security position.

One of the key CCSC security assessment team strengths is the hands-on proven experience in Information Communication & Technology. Additionally, we have demonstrated expertise in IT Security Governance, IT Security Policy Development, Network Security Architectures Design and Review,

Vulnerability Assessment, Risk Assessment, Penetration Testing, Application Design and Deployment, Technology Infrastructure Re-engineering, Security Awareness Training and Security Operations Assessments.

With experiences supporting the security goals and objectives of a wide range of clients this has given the CCSC security assessment team an understanding and appreciation for the security technical, management and operational challenges we face daily. This allows us to recommend security solutions and process improvements which are based on international security best practices and standards, and can be leveraged to help them achieve their security goals and objectives.

A National Crime Observatory is a government agency designed

to collect, process and analyse crime data to help understand the current situation and developments in the area of public security, as well as challenges and progress achieved so that they can be used as inputs for planning and implementing public policies on security at national and international levels.

On June 13, 2012 the Government of Barbados and the General Secretariat Organisation of American States, (OAS), entered a Cooperative Agreement for the establishment of the Barbados National Crime Observatory which is housed at the National Task Force on Crime Prevention (NTFCP).

The NTFCP is responsible for gathering information on crime and the criminal

Keeping Cyber Secure

The Barbados National Crime Observatory

justice system to provide the Attorney General with up to date statistics on crime and recommendations coming out of the research. To aid in the local effort, the United Nations created the United Nations Surveys of Crime Trends (UN-CTS) database. The goals of the UN-CTS are to collect data on the incidence of reported crime and the operations of criminal justice systems with a view to improving the analysis and dissemination of that information globally. This survey is distributed to officials in every member country to the United Nations.

On December 6, 2013 the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducted a training session at the OAS headquarters for the Barbados National Observatory team which consists of officials from the Royal Barbados Police Force, HMP Dodds, Government Industrial

School, Registration Department and Department of Public Prosecution. During this meeting, UNODC Research Officer, Mr. Michael Jandl emphasized the importance of creating a national sub-group to discuss and resolve issues and differences between the various criminal justice agencies, with the goal to have a succinct cohesive mode of data collection. He further commended the NTFCP for taking the step forward and housing the Barbados National Crime Observatory.

Deon Olton, BSc., CEHChief Technology Officer Caribbean Cyber Security Centre

SummerStudent

WorkAttachment

My name is Summer and as part of the Student Attachment Programme offered through my school,

Queens College, I did a six week summer internship at the National Task Force on Crime Prevention. Though off to a slow start, the internship quickly blossomed into a beacon of knowledge and excitement. The friendly and incredibly knowledgeable staff of this research based department provided a safe and exciting work environment. The internship also taught me a great deal about the criminal justice system. The learning process was paired with various tours which were very informative and intriguing. Some of these included a visit to the Supreme and Magistrate Courts of Barbados, the Government Industrial School and the prison. For me the highlight of my experience would have to be our trip to the morgue. The morgue provided me with an up-close and personal view of what the daily life of a pathologist – a career I am very interested in - would be like and the treatment of bodies in connection with police cases. Lastly, the Charlie the Crime Stopper visits to various camps provided a wealth of happiness to both me and the children.In a nut shell my internship at the National Task Force on Crime Prevention was an informative and exciting experience. There was never a dull moment!

My name is Crystal Straker and I am a sixth form student at the St. Michael School. I was fortunate

to have the opportunity to work at the National Task Force on Crime Prevention (NTFCP) for the duration of six weeks during the summer of 2013. During this internship I would have had the chance to assist in tasks such as arranging Charlie the Crime Stopper visits for camps, as well as filling in for the secretary and improving my phone etiquette. The other intern and I were also able to go on a series of tours which exposed us to several aspects of the criminal justice system ranging from the Supreme & Magistrates court to the morgue which was a very eye opening experience! Each tour helped me to build a very informed perception of the roles played and challenges faced by the arms of justice. After being a part of this work force we were able to appreciate the work which takes place behind the scenes as we also assisted our supervisor, Ms. Sasha Clarke, in the finalisation of the Dispute Resolution and Conflict Mediation Programme Appreciation Ceremony. In addition, since the department’s main purpose is to provide research on crime which can potentially aid in assisting in its prevention, we were given the opportunity to conduct our own research on chosen topics of interest with guidelines and help from our curators. I can confidently say that being an intern at the NTFCP was an experience that I will never forget because I was able to gain knowledge that I can take with me in my future endeavours.

The NTFCP is currently conducting a Customer Satisfaction Survey looking at the services of the Royal Barbados Police Force. Research Assistants, carrying valid identification, will be visiting various neighbourhoods across the country collecting the relevant information. We may come knocking on your door! We encourage your participation in this process. Thank you!

NOTICE:

Crystal StrakerSummer Payne-Mascoll